


come find me in the afterglow

by leeswaggy



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Based on an All Time Low Song, Beorn's House, Bilbo has a crush, It's called Afterglow, Just a lot of wholesome content tbh, Listen I love Bofur but he's an idiot, M/M, Really fluffy, Thorin is rude to everyone but Bilbo, Y'all really should listen to it, vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:28:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29163411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leeswaggy/pseuds/leeswaggy
Summary: Perhaps, not everything is as fragile as Bilbo thinks, and perhaps, everything is going to be fine.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Comments: 10
Kudos: 77





	come find me in the afterglow

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, yes, I'm back with yet another translation of one of my works :') I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!!  
> If you find any mistakes, please let me know!
> 
> Have fun <3

When Thorin hugs him, Bilbo feels more alive than he ever did since he can remember. Everything is fine, Thorin is alive, they’re a _ll_ alive, they escaped Azog and are closer to the Lonely Mountain than ever before. They also are closer to each other than ever before – on the one hand because they never hugged until now (Bilbo seriously wonders why, it feels really nice and if he could he’d stand here like this forever), but on the other hand because Thorin finally accepts him as a member of their Company. He’s no longer just a burden to everyone, he can help, contribute something useful because he’s willing to do anything for the others, and Thorin sees it.

Bilbo isn’t sure whether Thorin really whispers a quiet “Thank you” in his ear or if he’s just imagining that, but either way a warm feeling spreads throughout his whole body and for the first time, he really feels welcome.

After a too-short amount of time, Thorin releases Bilbo from his arms, but the warm feeling stays and Bilbo can’t stop smiling because he finally feels like he is exactly where he should be.

Of course they have to move on, and of course Bilbo has to think about other things than how _good_ he feels now – especially when they’re chased by a huge bear until they find shelter inside the house of said huge bear. When everyone collapses on the floor, breathing heavily, Bilbo looks around and is once again glad they all made it.

It’s hard not to notice who’s related to whom – every dwarf worries about and cares for his family, but for the first time Bilbo sees himself as a part of the big family they’re all slowly becoming throughout the journey. Obviously, everyone’s focus is on their own brothers, but everyone looks out for everyone, and even Bilbo is patted on the back by almost every single dwarf. Bofur pulls him in for a quick hug: “It’s good you’re with us, Bilbo.”

“It is”, Bilbo sighs and after a few seconds passed, he adds a quiet “Thank you, Bofur”. Bofur is one of the few members of the Company who didn’t doubt Bilbo from the beginning – more even, he constantly encouraged the hobbit and showed him on more than one occasion that he doesn’t only accept but truly like him. Considering the fact that the leader of their group didn’t do any of that until a few hours earlier, Bilbo appreciates Bofur’s affection all the more.

But once again, Bilbo’s thoughts are stuck on Thorin. Thorin, who never believed in him, made fun of him, never took anything he said or did seriously, despite Bilbo’s efforts. Thorin, who said Bilbo was a burden, who thought Bilbo would just leave them without a word.

Thorin, whose life Bilbo saved and who suddenly acts so kind the hobbit doesn’t really know how to react.

When he’s sure the dwarves are asleep, Bilbo quietly gets up and sneaks out of the house and into the garden. He needs the fresh air and, more importantly, a break from all the snoring that keeps the whole inside of the house at a noise level Bilbo simply can’t endure. He’s sure the bear won’t attack a single hobbit – he’s not dangerous enough for that and besides, if hobbits are good at one thing, it’s being quiet.

He sits down on the grass with his back against a tree and closes his eyes. For a moment, he doesn’t hear anything but the quiet rustling of the leaves and if he focuses just on that, he can almost imagine he’s back in the Shire – on his bench, with a pipe in his hand and good food in his belly… And without all the dwarves he grew so fond of. A few weeks ago, he would’ve been happy to never have to see his unannounced guests again, but so much changed since then, _Bilbo_ changed. He barely recognizes himself and if he’s being completely honest he’s glad about it. In truth, joining the dwarves on their quest to reclaim Erebor might be the best decision he ever made in all his life, and he’s really grateful for the opportunity Gandalf gave him.

Yes, he misses the Shire, he misses the people there, but he’d miss the dwarves even more if they weren’t around him constantly now. As strange and difficult as they are and as little as they all have in common, Bilbo doesn’t think he ever had such good friends.

And he certainly never had someone like Thorin. Someone Bilbo admires quietly even though he would never admit it to the dwarves, someone who risks his life to help others even though he doesn’t expect them to do the same in return.

Of course Bilbo has been in love before, many times actually, but he never felt like he does now. Looking at Thorin feels like the sun on his face and every time he’s happy about something, as small as it might be, he catches himself turning to Thorin because he wants to share that feeling with him. And now that Thorin apparently changed his mind about Bilbo he doesn’t feel as unreachable again but Bilbo doesn’t know how to deal with that because he was _fine_ with just watching the dwarf from the distance and then quickly turning away when Thorin looks at him as well.

“What is out burglar doing out here late at night?”, Thorin interrupts his thoughts, and Bilbo’s heart almost stops because he was so distracted by his thoughts he didn’t even hear the footsteps.

“It is dangerous and it is raining”, Thorin says so gently Bilbo nearly forgets answering, but he saves himself in the last second: “Ah, yes, I… I couldn’t sleep, so I thought… Well. Besides, I like the rain. It’s… Relaxing.”

He withholds the fact that he didn’t even notice it was raining until Thorin pointed it out, and now that he thinks about it, he really does like the rain. In a way, he likes everything when Thorin is with him, but he r _eally_ shouldn’t think about that right now.

“Oh, and what are you doing here then?”, he asks to interrupt the silence (but most of all his thoughts), but Thorin only shakes his head and smiles: “I woke up and saw you were gone. I thought maybe the bear could’ve eaten you, so I decided to check on you.”

Bilbo laughs a little, only to conceal the fact that he’s putting way too much thought into Thorin _worrying_ about him. A few days ago, he was a burden, and now?

“May I?”, Thorin asks and gestures at the spot next to Bilbo, but he doesn’t wait for the hobbit’s answer before sitting down. Bilbo briefly opens his mouth but closes it immediately after he realizes he doesn’t actually know what he wants to say.

For quite some time, they just sit next to each other without saying a word, and Bilbo doesn’t know about Thorin, but he enjoys the moment a lot. The rain patters on the roof of Beorn’s house and on the leaves of the trees that protect them from the drops, and this time, Bilbo doesn’t have to imagine being at the Shire to feel good. He’s right where he belongs.

He considers for a moment, then he plucks up his courage and takes a deep breath: “Thorin—"

“Master Baggins—", Thorin starts that exact moment, and both of them are quiet for a moment until Thorin mutters: “You can go first.”

“Oh, no, no, it’s not that important”, Bilbo says quickly because he _really_ wants to know what Thorin has to say. The dwarf lets out a deep sigh: “Well, then. I… To be honest, I wanted to apologize for how I treated you.”

Bilbo wants to say something, but Thorin cuts him off with a wave of his hand: “This is just as uncomfortable for me as it is for you, believe me, but I want you to know that I was wrong about you, and I’m sorry. I judged you without knowing you and now I see that my judgment was wrong. I made fun of you, never took you seriously, and still, you would have given your life for me. That’s more than I deserve. I’m glad you’re with us… Bilbo.”

For more than one reason, Bilbo is absolutely speechless, and he knows he should reply something, anything, but he has no idea what to reply to _that_. He wants to thank Thorin, but somehow, only a soft “Me too” comes out before he quickly picks up a leaf from the ground and inspects it to look less overwhelmed. He expected a lot of things, but never Thorin being so honest and so friendly towards him, and now he doesn’t know how to act – of course he’s happy, maybe a little too happy, but his voice refuses to work and his brain does as well, as it seems.

“Bilbo”, Thorin says – Bilbo doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to Thorin calling him by his first name – “You wanted to say something as well.”  
“Oh, yes, that. Huh. No, I think I forgot what I wanted to say”, Bilbo claims because after what Thorin said, he feels ridiculous for the words in his mind. After such a _monologue_ , he can’t just say he likes sitting here with Thorin.

Thorin sighs, but he doesn’t try to force Bilbo to answer, for which Bilbo is grateful, but he also is a little disappointed. Annoyed at himself, he imperceptibly shakes his head, then turns to Thorin to finally say what he wanted to say, but it seems like Thorin had the same idea and suddenly their faces are only inches apart from each other.

“Oh”, Bilbo says quietly, and he can’t help but let his gaze wander down to Thorin’s lips for a split second. Thorin looks a little distracted as well, and his hand suddenly is on Bilbo’s knee when he quietly starts talking: “I think there was something you wanted to say.”

“Do you really think I can focus on _anything_ like this?”, Bilbo whispers while they slowly move even closer towards each other until Bilbo can almost feel Thorin’s lashes on his cheek when the dwarf blinks.

“No, I… I think I see your problem”, Thorin breathes, and without looking away from Bilbo’s eyes, he carefully brushes a wet strain of hair out of the hobbit’s face, so soft Bilbo shivers. He can’t tear his gaze away from Thorin’s eyes as well, and it seems impossible to move even closer, but they do, until…

“Ahh, there you are!”, Bofur’s voice sounds through the garden, _too loud_ , and Bilbo and Thorin immediately move away from each other. As quickly and inconspicuous as possible, Bilbo tries adjusting his clothes (when did Thorin grip his coat?!) and hiding his blush, but of course none of that works as well as he wants it to, and he just hopes the dark hides the worst. Meanwhile, Thorin clears his throat louder than necessary and grimly turns around to Bofur: “What are you doing here? Go to sleep.”

“What’re _you_ doing here, lads? I thought perhaps I could join you for a drink, but ye two look like you want to be alone”, Bofur grins and wiggles his eyebrows. Although that, very obviously, was a joke, Bilbo can’t hold back a few coughs while Thorin’s expression is getting even more dark and he stifles poor Bofur’s attempt at making a joke: “Quite frankly, yes. _Go back inside_.”

Laughing, Bofur gives up, turns around and obeys Thorin’s command, but not without winking at Bilbo and Thorin and shouting “Well, have fun then” before going back inside the house.

A bit overwhelmed, Bilbo runs his fingers through his hair: “Ah, well, that was… Huh.” He knows he could just as well not have said anything, but the silence is way too uncomfortable not to break it. He doesn’t really know if Thorin really just wanted to _kiss_ him, and if he did, does he still want to? Because Bilbo himself definitely wants to, but he has no idea how to get that across. Plus, Thorin seems more angry than anything else right now, and Bilbo knows better than to further upset the dwarf in such a situation.

But it’s Thorin who turns his face back to Bilbo now and who’s expression promptly softens when he looks at the hobbit.

Bilbo feels like Thorin can read every single feeling from his eyes, and he quickly looks away just to catch Thorin’s gaze with his own once again: “Yes, uh, where were-…”

But Thorin’s hand is already tangled in Bilbo’s hair to pull him closer until their lips meet a little less gently than intended. Bilbo feels like there’s no air left in his lungs and he holds on to Thorin as if he was everything he had, because somehow, he is.

When they break the kiss to catch their breaths, Thorin’s hand stays in Bilbo’s hair, and Bilbo doesn’t loosen his grip on Thorin’s coat as well. He keeps his eyes closed and for a moment, he feels nothing but Thorin – their faces still are so close together, it wouldn’t take more than a slight move of one of their heads to initiate another kiss, and that’s exactly what Bilbo does now.

There aren’t many things in his life of which he knows they’re _right_ , but kissing Thorin definitely is one of those things, and if Bilbo could, he’d stay here forever in Thorin’s arms and never stop kissing him.

“What I wanted to say”, Bilbo whispers when they break apart for a few seconds, “is that I really like being here with you. And… Now, I like it even more, to be completely honest.”

Thorin laughs quietly, not because he’s making fun of Bilbo, but because in this moment, he’s really, genuinely happy. “I know exactly what you mean.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments & kudos are appreciated!


End file.
